When Should I Make a Wedding Website?

With so many moving parts, wedding planning is a massive undertaking. Some tasks have to be completed before you even start to think about others. For example, you need to book a wedding venue before you send out your invitations, hire vendors, or arrange your wedding day transportation. Other tasks, such as selecting your wedding party, can be done at any point during the process.

Due to the careful balancing act that is wedding planning, many couples rely on a step-by-step wedding planning checklist to make sure that everything gets done in the right order.

So, where does making a wedding website fall within that list?

Below, we’ll break down the following topics:

• What Is a Wedding Website?
• When to Create Wedding Website
• When to Share Your Wedding Website
• The Benefits of Using a Wedding Website
• How to Make a Wedding Website

What Is a Wedding Website?

Before we jump into the wedding website timeline, let’s review what this innovative tool is all about. A wedding website is a website that you create to communicate all of the important details about your big day with your guests. You can use your website to relay your wedding’s:

• Date, time, and location
• Event schedule
• Dress code
• Venue directions
• Transportation details
• Parking information
• Bar and food offerings
• Hotel block details
• Lodging suggestions
• Nearby activities and attractions
• Additional FAQs

Your wedding website serves as the centralized hub for all of your wedding day details. If your guests lose their physical invitations, no problem. They can refer to your website to find out everything they need to know. As a result, they’ll be less likely to bombard you with questions (which means more free time for you).

Your Wedding Website Isn’t Just for Your Guests

While your wedding website is a wonderful resource for your guests, it’s also an important tool for you and your fiance.

You can use your wedding website to:

• Collect digital RSVP responses
• Tactfully guide guests to your wedding registry
• Efficiently answer all of your guests’ questions

At Zola, our wedding websites come with the following convenient integrations:

• RSVP tracking: Zola’s Wedding Guest List Planner allows you to digitally track all of your guests’ RSVP responses directly from your website, including their attendance, plus-ones, children, dietary requirements, meal choices, and transportation preferences.

As your guests submit their RSVP responses, they’ll automatically be stored in your Zola Guest List. In turn, you can refer back to your RSVP data whenever you need to.

If you also allow your guests to submit physical RSVPs, you can add them to your Zola Guest List Planner manually. This way, all of your RSVP responses will be stored in one secure place.

• Wedding registry: Zola's wedding registry includes classic wedding gifts, exciting experiences, and honeymoon funds. Our registry software also enables you to send your guests automated thank you notes when they make a purchase.

Want to return a gift? No problem. We offer free, confidential returns. You can exchange a gift before it's even shipped, saving you time and hassle. And don’t worry—your guests will never be notified.

Best of all, you can shop from our wedding registry with 20 percent off for up to six months after your wedding day. If you or your guests have any registry questions, our exceptional customer service team can help.

When Should I Create a Wedding Website?

Now that you know what a wedding website does, you may be wondering when you should make one for your special day.

You can start creating your website as soon as you’re engaged. No one will see your site until you publish it, so feel free to play around with different wedding website design ideas and add in information as you acquire it.

Is It Ever Too Early to Make a Wedding Website?

As long as you’re engaged, it’s never too early to start working on your wedding website. Beginning this process is a fun way to funnel your engagement excitement productively.

However, you should hold off from sharing your wedding website with your guests until you reach a specific point in your wedding planning timeline.

When to Share Your Wedding Website

Before you can share your wedding website, you need to make sure that it contains all of the necessary information. Generally, this is only possible after you’ve:

• Booked your wedding venue
• Determined your official wedding date
• Chosen a caterer
• Planned out your transportation to and from the venue
• Asked about your venue’s parking situation
• Booked a hotel room block (if you want one)
• Researched lodging and transportation options for your guests
• Compiled a list of fun activities to check out in your local area
• Decided on a dress code
• Set up your wedding registry

If you're on track with the rest of your wedding timeline, all of this should be completed around six to eight months before your wedding day.

By having all of these details ironed out, you can ensure that your wedding website is truly a complete and comprehensive resource for your guests.

When Is It Too Late to Share Your Wedding Website?

While you shouldn’t share your wedding website prematurely, you also shouldn't wait too long to get it up and running.

Why not? Well, your wedding website is a valuable resource. If you wait too long to share it, you’ll miss out on some of its benefits.

Speaking of which, let’s review a few of the many benefits of using a wedding website.

The Benefits of Using a Wedding Website

Wedding websites have revolutionized the wedding planning process. Here’s how.

#1 Your Wedding Website Can Help You Stay Organized

Planning a wedding is a ton of work, with a lot of moving parts to organize and track. Fortunately, your wedding website can make it much easier.

Wedding websites enhance organization by allowing you to:

• Track your Wedding RSVP website responses digitally: Without a wedding website, you would have to wait around for every RSVP response to arrive by snail mail. Even if they all arrive on time, keeping tabs on so much paperwork can be a hassle.

• Share your RSVP data and final headcount with vendors: Since Zola’s Guest List Manager allows you to export your RSVP data, you can share it with all of your vendors efficiently.

• List out logistical information in one place: Your wedding website gives you a one-stop-shop to log your wedding planning progress. From addresses to dates to directions, you can add information to your website as you figure it out. In turn, you won’t forget to share it with your guests.

#2 Your Wedding Website Gives You Space to Go into Detail

Wedding invitations, save the dates, and enclosure cards are all fantastic tools for conveying wedding information to your guests. However, they have a limited amount of space. If you’re trying to cram every important tidbit of information in them, they may end up looking cluttered and disorganized.

Fortunately, your wedding website doesn’t have this problem. Since your wedding website has an unlimited amount of space, you can go into as much detail as you want about every part of your wedding day.

By sharing this detailed information with your guests promptly, you can also avoid a repetitive influx of calls from guests asking questions that could otherwise be answered on your website.

#3 Your Wedding Website Sets the Tone for Your Big Day

Many brides and grooms love wedding planning because it gives them a chance to unleash their creativity and tap into their design skills. As a result, guests are eager to see what the happy couple came up with.

You can give your guests a sneak peek into the style of your wedding with your website. Is your big day going to be elegant or quirky? Rustic or whimsical? Your wedding website’s design will give them an idea.

By choosing a website template that matches your wedding theme, you can set the tone for your big day. In turn, your guests can start imagining all of the other beautiful things you have in store for them.

#4 Your Wedding Website Is Easily Accessible

In the age of the internet, you can learn just about anything in a matter of clicks. By publishing your wedding day details online, your guests will enjoy this accessibility. Even if one of your guests lives across the world in a different time zone, they can get all of their questions about your special day answered on demand.

Your guests will appreciate this accessibility when they:

• Want to double-check your wedding date
• Submit their RSVP responses
• Book their hotel for your wedding weekend
• Browse your gift registry
• Refer to your dress code as they shop for the perfect outfit

You can think of your wedding website as a 24/7 customer support team for your special day. No matter what time it is or where your guests are in the world, they can visit your wedding website to find the information they’re looking for. Best of all, you won’t need to be the one providing this around-the-clock support.

#5 Your Wedding Website Makes It Easier to Tackle Touchy Topics

Do you feel awkward telling your guests where they can find your gift registry? What about announcing that you want a child-free wedding? Some wedding details are better expressed in writing, especially if they’re likely to lead to uncomfortable conversations.

For example, maybe your cousin is eager to invite his brand new girlfriend as his plus-one, but you’d prefer to keep your wedding small and intimate. You can simply explain that you’re not allowing guests to invite plus-ones on your website. This way, your cousin won’t take it personally and you can stay true to your wedding vision.

If you have any specific wedding day wishes like this, getting them up on your wedding website sooner than later will ensure that your guests understand the rules from the get-go.

#6 Your Wedding Website Makes It Easy to Update Your Guests

Sometimes, even the best-laid plans go awry. Maybe the weather forecast is predicting heavy rain during your outdoor nuptials. Or maybe your shuttle service company suddenly went out of business before your big day.

No matter what obstacles arise, you can efficiently inform your guests about any big changes on your wedding website. All you have to do is:

• Update your website to reflect the new information
• Share your URL along with a message explaining the change

This process is a lot easier than updating each of your guests about the change one by one.

#7 Your Wedding Website Can Save You Money

Every decision you make about your wedding day comes with a price tag. Invitations alone could cost you hundreds of dollars, depending on how many guests you’re inviting.

If you need to send out a slew of enclosure cards or a large number of RSVP response cards, you may end up going over your allotted invitation budget.

Fortunately, your wedding website can streamline the cost of invitations by making enclosure cards and RSVP response cards necessary. Simply use your wedding website to inform your guests about the details of your big day and collect RSVPs digitally instead.

How to Make a Wedding Website

Wedding websites have a ton of benefits. By sharing your wedding website at the right time (six to eight months before your big day), you can maximize these benefits and use your wedding website to its full potential.

So, how do you make a wedding website? You’ll be happy to learn that creating a wedding website is a lot easier than it sounds.

Here are the steps.

#1 Choose a Wedding Website Builder

If you’re not a web designer by trade, creating your website may sound complicated, if not impossible. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a coding-whiz to make a wedding website.

Instead of building your website from scratch, you can simply enlist the help of a wedding website builder, like the one offered at Zola.

At Zola, our drag-and-drop website builder is easy to use and can streamline the website creation process significantly. No matter what your web design background is, you should have no problem navigating this intuitive tool.

#2 Choose a Wedding Website Template

Wedding website builders allow you to choose a template that will dictate the general layout, design, and color scheme of your website. After choosing a wedding website template that you love, all you have to do is add in your content and photos.

At Zola, we have hundreds of different wedding website templates that you can choose from. No matter what your wedding theme is, you can find a template that aligns perfectly with the aesthetics of your special day, whether they’re:

• Elegant and classy
• Floral and botanical
• Rustic and vintage
• Beachy or bohemian
• Modern or minimalistic

Best of all, each of our wedding website templates has a Zola invitation suite of formal invitations, save the dates, and enclosure cards to match.

#3 Choose a Domain Name

Your website’s domain name is the address that your guests will type in to visit your website. If you look up to your address bar right now, you’ll see that you’re currently on Zola.com, which is our domain name.

You can choose a domain name for your wedding website that’s personalized, romantic, and unique. The best domain names are also short and easy to spell. Here are a few examples of wedding website domain names that you can use for inspiration:

• JillSaidYes.com
• JackLovesJill.com
• JackPlusJill.com
• MrAndMrsSmith.com
• TheSmiths2021.com

If you choose to use a free domain name, it will also contain the website builder’s branding. For example, “JillSaidYes.com” will read as “Zola.com/wedding/JillSaidYes” instead. If you’d prefer to remove the branded portion, you can purchase a custom domain name for as little as $10 to $15.

#4 Add All of Your Wedding Information

Once you’ve chosen a template and selected your domain name, you can start filling out your website with all of the content that you want to share with your guests.

If you don’t have specific details about your venue’s parking or dress code yet, don’t worry. You can always go back and add in more details as you figure them out.

You can also upload some photos of you and your fiance. Those gorgeous engagement photos you just took? Perfect. The pictures from your most recent trip together? Ideal. Just make sure that all of your photos suit the color scheme and aesthetic of your wedding template.

#5 Integrate Your Wedding Registry

Next, make it easy for your guests to find your gift registry by linking to it directly from your wedding website.

At Zola, you can seamlessly integrate your wedding registry with your wedding website template. You can also add gifts from other stores to your Zola registry so that your guests can conveniently peruse all of the options from one page.

#6 Set Up Your Online RSVPs

If you want to collect RSVPs digitally, make sure to include a form on your website where guests can fill out their responses. You can insert sections for their:

• Attendance
• Plus-ones
• Dietary restrictions
• Meal preferences
• Transportation requirement

At Zola, setting up this online RSVP form for your wedding website is a breeze.

#7 Consider Protecting Your Privacy With a Password

Wedding crashers have been around for decades, but wedding website crashers are new on the scene. If you don’t want random strangers or uninvited acquaintances stumbling onto your website, you can set up a website password.

At Zola, you can create a custom password in a few easy steps. Just make sure that you choose a password that’s easy to remember.

Once you implement password protection for your wedding website, your guests will be prompted to enter the password before they can unlock your website’s information. Thus, it’s important to share your password along with your wedding website URL.

#8 Review, Finalize, and Publish Your Website

Once you have all of your wedding information added to your website, read it over and check for any errors. Don’t forget to test your links to make sure that they’re working properly.

Once you’ve confirmed that everything looks perfect, you can go ahead and publish your website. At this point, you can also share it with your guests and start experiencing the perks of having a wedding website firsthand.

*How to Share Your Wedding Website *

You can prompt your guests to check out your wedding website for the first time on your save the dates.

After that, you can also share your wedding website URL:

• On your bachelor and bachelorette party invitations
• On your wedding shower invitations
• On your official wedding invitations
• In a message sent to your guests via text or email
• In a private Facebook group created exclusively for your wedding guests

By sharing your wedding website URL in multiple places, you can increase the chance that all of your guests find their way onto it successfully.

Zola: Wedding Websites Made Easy

Making a wedding website is an exciting part of the wedding planning process. By choosing Zola as your wedding website partner, you’ll enjoy a seamless experience from start to finish

With our matching invitations, RSVP and registry integrations, and password protection, we offer everything you need to create a stunning and functional wedding website. Best of all, our wedding websites are beautifully designed, easy to share, and free.

Ready to start creating your wedding website today?